Thread spreader for doubling machines



Feb. 5 1924.

P. J. THOMAS THREAD SPREADER FOR DOUBLING MACHINES Filed March 25. 1922Patented 5, i924,

PACIFIC I. THOMAS, 0F PIT'IS'ION, PENNSYLVANIA.

THREAD SPREADER FOR DOUBLING MACHINES.

Application filed March 25, 1922. Serial No. 546,675.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PACIFIC J. THOMAS, a citizen of the United $tates,residing at Pittston, in the county of Luzerne and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inThread Spreaders for Doubling Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates particularly to thread-spreading mechanism employedin connection with doubling and twisting machines of the type shown inmy pending application Serial No. 532,970, filed January 31, 1922, andmy present object is to provide for maintaining the definite spreadingof the thread convolutions and retaining the same on the rolls duringthe production of either right or left hand twists and preventingslippage during speeding up of the machine. The invention is fullydescribed in connection with the accompanying drawing and is clearlydefined in the subjoined claim.

Fig. 1 is an elevation of my improved device in connection with suchknown cooperating mechanism as will enable a clear explanation of theinvention being indicated.

Fig. 2 is a right-angled view of the same.

The construction shown in the drawings is similar to my aforesaidpending application, showing a roll-carrying frame 5 in which is mounteda horizontal shaft 6 carrying a smooth-surfaced cylindrical take-up roll7. preferably formed in this case with end guard flanges 7 7, and a gear8 on its opposite end, said gear having a beveledtoothed end portion 8normally in mesh with the bevel gear 9 of a drive shaft 10, except whenautomatically thrown out of mesh in known manner by any breakage ofthread. This automatic disengagement of the driving gears 8 and 9 isaccomplished as heretofore by pivotally mounting frame post 12 in boss13 of suitably fixed supporting arm 14:, so the entire frame may beswung against action of spring 15, such movement being effected bycontact of cam 16, on stop shaft 17, with arm 18 of frame post 12,whenever there is a break in one of the threads 20 running through guideeye 21 to take-up roll 7, all as heretofore known and requiring nofurther description to fully understand my improvements.

The threads 20 extending from the guideeye 21 to the twistingniechari'ism,'not shown,

are as usual given several turns around the take-up roll 7, and, as inmy pending application aforesaid, I interpose between said eye and rolla parallel spreading roll 25 having deep V-shaped circular grooves 28 inwhich the convolution of threads may be readily entered in winding andseated in the bottoms 29 of said grooves to maintain said convolutionsin properly spaced position on take-up roll 7.

I have found in practice that when using threads of a wiry nature, suchas artificial silk, slippage over the rolls is likely to occur producingundue strains on the threads and causing defects and unsatisfactoryoperation, and this slippage also occurs in operating the machine at thehigher speeds desirable for certain work; also in producing heavy twistsand especially left-hand twists the convolutions are likely to workacross the roll 7 into uneven spacings and tendency to ride off the rollentirely in spite of the deep grooves of the spreading roll.

To overcome these difficulties and adapt the take-up for all kinds andvarieties of threads I secure the spreading roll 25 to shaft 26rotatably carried in a bearing in frame 5 and having a gear 410, andconnect the latter to gear 8 by means of an idler gear 11 so as topositively rotate the rolls 25 and 7 at the same circumferential speedso as to avoid all slippage.

I preferably form the roll 25 of larger outer diameter than roll 7, butcut the grooves 28 of a depth to make the diameter at the bottom 29thereof equal to the diameter of roll 7, and form the gears 40 and 8with the same number of teeth so that they will rotate with equal speed.a

This equal diameter of the bearing surfaces of the two rolls and theirequal and positive rotation insures equal tension and feed of the threadby the take up roll, while the deep grooves 28 maintain the spread ofthe convolutions on the roll 7 at all times. In making left-hand twists,especially when heavy twist is desired, there is a tendency of theconvolutions to work across and oil the roll 7, which is prevented in myconstruction by the end-guard flanges 7 7* provided on the latterwithout causing undue friction on the thread.

While my improved rolls are simple in structure and readily applied totake-up mechanism of known desi they provide for adapting the) take-u.or alielaeses of work, and accurately feed the thread at all speeds,permitting the use of threads of Va rious weights and material andapplicable for either right or left hand twists of all degrees.

What I claim is:

In a thread-spreading mechanism the combination with a fixed guide and asmooth-surfaced cylindrical thread roll having end guard flanges, of aninterposed parallel spreading roll having a series of V- shaped circulargrooves adapted to widely spread the thread convolutions, r011 drivingmeans adapted to impart the same speed of rotation to the threadcontacting surfaces of both the smooth-surfaced and grooved rolls, andmeans actuated by the breaking of a thread for automatically throwingsaid roll-driving means out of operation.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

PACIFIC J. THOMAS.

